Addressing Unsheltered Homelessness and Substance Use Disorder From Tent Encampment to Safe Spaces, Boston 2021-2022.

Increasing numbers of individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness and substance use disorder are living in tent encampments in cities across the United States. In response, the City of Boston, Massachusetts employed a public health approach comprising four implementation components: centralized leadership with cross-agency collaboration, creation of low-threshold spaces, person-centered engagement, and stakeholder-driven long-term planning. These steps led to the equitable transition of unsheltered individuals into harm reduction spaces and formed the foundation for future planning and encampment response in the city. (Am J Public Health. 2025;115(5):689-692. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2025.308009).